Bury Your Secrets

by Kerry Watts

The first book in a new police procedural series following DI Fraser Brodie and his team around the Inner Hebrides. After his twin brother's imprisonment for murder, DI Fraser Brodie has devoted his life to catching the very worst criminals of the Hebrides. When a local mechanic is found dead and mutilated, Brodie is on the search for a murderer. But then more bodies start turning up, and it doesn't take long for Brodie to conclude he has a serial killer on his hands. The investigation isn't proving so easy to crack, and when he discovers the missing link between the victims has connections to his own past, the race is on to find the culprit before more damage is done...

Genres: Mystery, Procedural, Scotland, Fiction

322 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 26, 2024

About the author

.Kerry Watts was born and grew up in a small town in the East of Scotland where she still lives today. She is always writing and carries a little notebook and pen with her wherever she goes because at her age ideas need to be captured before they disappear.
Kerry specialises in crime fiction because she enjoys pushing the boundaries of what it is to be human. The nature versus nurture debate fascinates her. She loves to put her characters in impossible situations just to see what happens. Her experience as a psychiatric nurse heavily influences her writing. She also wants to create characters that people can relate to who might be facing the same struggles as anyone else.
Authors who inspire her are anyone capable of creating a character who lives inside her head long after she has closed the book. Her favourite fictional character's are Dexter Morgan, created by Jeff Lindsay as well as Hannibal Lechter created by Thomas Harris. She doesn't have a favourite genre as a reader. Kerry will read anything. Written by anyone. If the blurb has a good feel about it she's hooked.
When she's not writing she loves to spend time following her other passions - dogs, particularly rescue mutts and horse racing. The sight of a thoroughbred race horse at full stretch has been known to move her to tears, not just lump in the throat stuff but full on blubbing. And for that she is unashamed. One day she's going to buy a racehorse filly and call her Into Darkness.
She also had a small role in a film called The Rocket Post but decided acting wasn't for her. She would rather create a character than play one.

Reviews

[Sheila · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free copy of, Bury Your Secrets, by Kerry Watts, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. DI Fraser Brodie works in the Hebrides, he has a serial killer on his hands, and has to solve the case, before anyone else, is killed. A good read.

[Maddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bury Your Dead is a brilliant start to a new series featuring DI Fraser Brodie.
Dark, broody, well conceived the story weaves seamlessly between different characters, with links to dark secrets to past events, personal and professional lines get blurred.
It's good. It's really really good. Hopefully we won't have to wait long to read more in that series.

[Annetta · Rating 1 out of 5]

One of the worst books ever … hardly any movement forward . Just lots. Of questioning of the same people. It was obvious who the perpetrator was from early on.
Absolute rubbish

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bury your secrets by Kerry Watts is a fabulous start to a new series involving DI Frasier Brodie. Set in the Inner Hebrides DI Fraser has spent this life catching criminals on the island he has grown up on and only knows to well. Who also has also a twin brother that is in prison for murder.
When a mutilated body of a local mechanic Simon Carver is found Frasier takes every step with to find the killer with his trusted team. But who wants him dead and why? When other bodies turn with similarities, DI Fraser knows that he has a serial killer on his hands and the link is a children’s home that his personal to him. Fraser and his brother was in the exact children’s home prior to the people who are now dead in his current case. Apart from being in the children’s home why are these people being murdered. Di Fraser and his team have their work cut out to find the Killer before he strikes again.
This is a great start of a new series et in the islands of Scotland. Although a bit grim in parts it has a great storyline and likeable characters of Fraser and his team. This was a complex case which encouraged me to keep on reading and I kind of guessed who the killer was but that didn’t spoil the enjoyment of this story, and I can’t wait to see how this series develops. 5 stars from me.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

🔪Good: complex cast of characters in an isolated Scottish setting

4-4.5🌟stars
A good, solid, police investigation murder mystery with a setting I really liked. Scotland writ large is one of my favorite settings and this novel, set on the Isle of Lewis in the isolated Outer Hebrides off Western Scotland, really worked. It's a small place and MC police detective Fraser Brodie, who grew up there with an abusive, violent father and then in a care home, can't get away from his brother' Adam's reputation as a killer. Everyone seems to know the brothers' story even though Adam's been locked up for 35 years.

I found the writing good, flowing well and easy to read, action oriented. And Fraser's team members get good coverage too. Plus, most of the victims we get to know before their violent demise. Did I guess the killer? Sort of, but the author threw in some great false trails.

This is a first book in what I hope will be a new series for me to follow.

Thanks to Embla Books and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first in a new series, the scene is on the Island of Lewis in the Hebrides. The main detective, Fraser is a complicated character who has had a problematic childhood. This is described in a natural way and had relevance to the plot . As the book begins, a man is found dead with stabwounds. His tongue has been removed. As the book progresses, there are more murders, with the same hallmarks. Fraser and his team investigate the background . At the same time, there are problems with Fraser's twin brother, in prison, and a local family where the husband is drinking a bottle of vodka a day. I did have my suspicions about the murderer, though there were more suspects.
I liked the characterizations in this book, not only Fraser, but also his team . The plot was interesting and had enough action and possible suspects to keep me engaged. The descriptions of island life are Ok, but not done to death . A great read and I am looking forward to more in the series.
Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some secrets are worth keeping. Others might cost you everything.

When DI Fraser Brodie arrives at the scene to find the body of a local mechanic mutilated, a chill run downs his spine. It's the most brutal killing the Isle of Lewis has seen in decades - since Fraser's own twin brother was imprisoned for several counts of murder.

But as DI Brodie begins his investigation, questioning those closest to the victim, it isn't long before more bodies start turning up, each accompanied by a note: 'I know what you did. I'll be seeing you'.

With the killer closing in on those who might dare to speak up, Fraser and his team are up against the clock to find the answers they need. But the case takes a complicated turn when DI Brodie uncovers a disturbing link between the victims and his own past.

The killer will stop at nothing to protect their secrets. Can DI Brodie catch the killer before they strike too close to home?

**********************

[Gordon Johnston · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent start to a new series. Bury Your Secrets features Western Isles detective DI Fraser Brodie, a fifty something veteran cop with a twin brother who is in Barlinnie for murdering several young women. Something that hasn't endeared him to many in the close knit community he works in.

A brutal murder comes just as Brodie's brother is nearing parole. With much on his mind, the DI and his team investigate - but the bodies keep coming. They struggle to find a link between the victims, certain that this will lead them to their killer. Bt to do so they must delve far into the past ...

Bury Your Secrets is a great depiction of a small community with vivid characters and an engaging plot. And, at the resolution of the case, there are several hints of future plotlines for DI Fraser Brodie and his team,

[Shirley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Embala Books for giving me this book for an honest review. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It’s the first in a new series with the main character being DI Fraser Brodie, a detective based on a Scottish island. While Fraser is visiting his brother in jail he gets a call that there’s been a murder on the island. Then another which is very similar to the first and there’s links between the two. While I guessed who the killer was very early on in the book, it took a fair while to work out why they had done it. The characters in the book are likeable and grew as the story progressed with more information about their current life and their past and how many of them were intertwined somehow. A great first book to a new series.

[Martha Brindley · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic start to a new series, set in the Hebrides. DI Fraser Brodie is a complex but very likeable character, with a twin brother serving life in prison for murder. The plotting is interesting and jumps between the present and the past, where the brothers spent their early years in a care home. Fraser is head of an investigation searching for the murderer of a local man, with the clock ticking and the body count rising. It moves on a t a fast pace, with a few twists and a rounded ending. I really enjoyed the read and would recommend it to lovers of crime fiction. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

[Dee Groocock · Rating 5 out of 5]

DI Fraser Brodie and his team work around the Inner Hebrides. Having grown up in the local area, everyone knows each other … and their business.

The story takes place over five days, and we follow the team as they investigate the murder of Simon Carver. Who would want him dead, and why?

This was a brilliant start to a new series. I really enjoyed getting to know the new characters, as well as some of their back story.

It is dark and disturbing, and at times, gory too. With some well-thought-out twists along the way, these made for an entertaining read.

My thanks to Embla Books and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Tracy ann Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a big fan of this Author and so been waiting for a new book. and we got a new series, Detective inspector Fraser Brodie is visiting his brother in prison when he gets the call of ds Carla McIntosh. there has been a murder a very brutal one a local man, so he gets the next flight back to Stornoway, Carla and Owen are part of his team. they find a note in his bedroom i know what you did I'll be seeing you. And then another man is murdered with same note. both victims are friends. Fraser and his team have to find the killer and why target these two men then another friend goes missing. it's a very gripping read I so can't wait for book two in series

[Natalie M · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm partial to a cracking Scottish crime read.

Set on the remote Isle of Lewis in Scotland's Outer Hebrides, this police procedural follows Detective Fraser Brodie, a complex protagonist haunted by a traumatic past and his twin brother’s notoriety as a convicted killer.

The story begins with a gruesome murder, followed by others with similar hallmarks. The strong cast of Brodie and team made for a compelling read as they unravel the web of suspects. I did find some unnecessary characters and plot directions (maybe one too many deaths, too). DI Brodie's personal struggles made this a standout despite the tangled web created in places.

A solid start to a series.

[Sarah B · Rating 5 out of 5]

The beginning of a new police procedural set in Scotland, where DI Fraser Brodie lives on the Isle of Lewis. Fraser has twin, Adam, a prisoner at the infamous HMP Barlinnie for crimes he committed about 35 years ago. DI Brodie is called to a scene by his DS Carla McIntosh and DC Owen Kelly, where a body has been discovered. This crimes sets off a chain of events that I never saw coming. The story is told in the present and the past, where we learn why the crimes are happening. All the subplots come together with a surprising twist! I look forward to book 2!!!

[Con & Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the setting, having visited the island in a rainy October - and reading Peter May's books. The characters will need more books to grow on me; they might. I wasn't overly impressed with the story arc as such, didn't seem all that original and the antagonist seemed somewhat surreal, but the brother of the detective protagonist being imprisoned for life as a murderer certainly was original and their strong bond an interesting angle. I signed up for the Kerry Watts mailing list as this first book was good enough to read the next installment!

[Cara Chong · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed it enough to keep reading. It definitely starts slow and picks up momentum as it goes. But I thought I would enjoy it more. Instead, it felt like a middle of the road episode of CSI or Law & Order. It was predictable and more about just seeing it through than it was a thrilling mystery. Personally, I was also constantly irritated by the dangling carrot of the "secret." The structure of the narrative just wasn't to my taste. I liked the characters but unfortunately probably won't pick up the next DI Brodie.

[Jeff Clifford · Rating 4 out of 5]

very good read

Read this book the first in series and completed it in a couple of days couldn’t put it down once started, getting to know the main characters did not take long and the detectives were a good mix of different classes and ideas which suited the situation. Only downside was worked out guilty person early in the book but did not know for what reasons the killings were taking place which you didn’t find out till the end which helped keep you reading. Really enjoyed it.

[Terry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I completely lost myself in this.
Excellent new series & on the edge waiting for more from the team.
Fraser is amazing, yes he’s a twin and cares for Adam who is in prison. They’re as close as they can be with those walls between them.
The case was fast paced and so well worked out, a maze of things going on, that’s not to say it’s confusing, it isn’t. It’s a great read and such good writing by Kerry Watts.
Yeah my new book boyfriend….Fraser

[Marcie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished this on the morning it was released. What an amazing book! I have never read anything by Kerry Watts before but I guarantee this won’t be my last. This is a first in a new series and I am looking forward to reading more. The characters were great and the storyline was amazing. I hate that I figured out the whodunnit but it didn’t make reading until the end any less exciting. I’m recommend this book 100%.
Thank you Embala Publishing, Kerry Watts and NetGalley for this eARC.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a decent enough read for me to borrow the next book in the series immediately.
Slain and tortured bodies are appearing on Lewis, all with the same message found.
When lies are told but upheld by others, hell shall be released.
Abused children in an inept home are the initiation for this sorry tale.
The DI and his brother were two of the children in said home, but at an earlier time.
This won't do much for the tourism in Scotland.

[johnanimalantics.net, Margaret G Conlan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic

Absolutely loved this book. However, the repeated use of bad language received a one star deduction as well as me not reading any more as I’ll assume the swearing will continue. All the participants played their parts extremely well. Being a Scot, I loved the language and could visualise the scenes being both beautiful and breathtaking. Thank you for quite a few days reading. 😊

[Nicola · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bury Your Secrets by Kerry Watts is a brilliant start to a new detective series featuring DI Fraser Brodie and his small team, set on the Isle of Lewis in the Inner Hebrides. 


The writing flowed really well and had me gripped throughout.

The storyline was very good, and I can't wait for the next book in the series.


Thank you to Katie at Embla Books for an advanced copy to review.

[Miao · Rating 2 out of 5]

The writing is awful. It actually spelled each time (he left the door wide open and she closed it behind her or she left the door wide open and he closed it behind him …). It also left nothing to the imagination. However the imaged the leads led no where “the miss person (Phil) is the most important l” lead to nothing.

[Amy Heap · Rating 4 out of 5]

Around two of my stars are probably given to the narrator. I am very sensitive to accents, and really loved his. I warmed to the detectives (shades of Michael Robotham's Cyrus Have with Brodie) and the setting. The writing was occasionally repetitive, and I found the resolution disappointing in a number of ways, but I'd happily listen to another.

[Mackey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great start in a new series. Two brothers who have taken two very different paths in life but both with interesting stories to tell. Yes, it's a police procedural but it was a great story too which I liked.

[shirley james · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant

This is a first read with this author but will not be my last. I'm
Such passion, courage, determination. The lead character and colleagues were brilliant as a team.
The ending was a surprise but definitely a full stop.

[Nicholas Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good read about a serial killer on the remote island of Harris off the coast of Scotland. There are plenty of suspects who the lead police detective, whose twin brother is in prison on the mainland, must work through to find the culprit...

[Kimberly Gordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very good police murder mystery, with solid character and a good story line

[Maggie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Average

[Kelsey]

I just couldn't get into this. I will read the author again. the audiobook narrator had a strong Scottish accent (no complaints)